Catholic Platonism

Catholic Platonism and Pope Benedict XVI
Here are links to two articles by Pope Benedict XVI (Cardinal Ratzinger), which illustrate a definite Platonic dimension to his thinking.
The title of the first, ‘The Contemplation of Beauty‘ (2002; alternative link), leaves no doubt about its reference to Plato and, in particular, to the speech of Diotima in Plato’s [...]

Plato Christianus – Christian Platonists and Neoplatonists

Christian Platonism and Neoplatonism (Part 1)
This shows a list of Christian Platonist or Neoplatonist philosophers through the Middle Ages (Part 2 will consider those of the Renaissance and later).
A fuller list, with hyperlinks and showing important writings of each person listed can be found on the web page:
Christian Platonists and Neoplatonists
The reader would be [...]

Philo – Higher Pleasures

Philo – Higher Pleasures
On the Giants 10.40

X. (40) And the sentence which follows, “I am the Lord,” is uttered with great beauty and with most excessive propriety, “for,” says the Lord, “oppose, my good man, the good of the flesh to that of the soul, and of the whole man;” therefore the pleasure of the [...]

St. Ambrose – God as the Good

From the treatise on Flight from the World by Saint Ambrose, bishop
Hold fast to God, the one true good
Where a man’s heart is, there is his treasure also. God is not accustomed to refusing a good gift to those who ask for one. Since he is good, and especially to those who are faithful to [...]

St. Ambrose – On Wisdom

From the Explanations of the Psalms by Saint Ambrose, bishop
Open your lips, and let God’s word be heard
We must always meditate on God’s wisdom, keeping it in our hearts and on our lips. Your tongue must speak justice, the law of God must be in your heart. Hence Scripture tells you: You shall speak [...]

Video – Plato (Encyclopedia Channel)

With some hesitation I place here a feed to a short Encyclopedia Channel documentary on the life of Plato.  Watch the video, but then please consult the corrections listed below.

Let me correct a few major errors.   Contrary to what it says:

Plato’s Republic was not intended as a literal description of an ideal [...]

Gregory Nazianzen – God is Light – Oration 40

Gregory Nazianzen – God is Light – Oration 40
Preached at Constantinople Jan. 6, 381, being the day following the delivery of that on the Holy Lights.
V. God is Light:  [1 John 1:5] the highest, the unapproachable, the ineffable, That can neither be conceived in the mind nor uttered with the lips, [1 Timothy 6:16] [...]

On Philo’s Allegorical Exigesis of Genesis

On Philo’s Allegorical Exigesis of Genesis
While this shorter explanation in a catechetical form [Questions and Answers on Genesis] was intended for more extensive circles, Philo’s special and chief scientific work is his large allegorical commentary on Genesis [Allegorical Interpretation I-III]…
These two works frequently approximate each other as to their contents. For in the Quaestiones et [...]

Philo – Tree of Life (3)

Philo – Tree of Life (3)
Philo of Alexandria (Philo Judaeus; c. 20 BC – c. 50 AD)
Allegorical Interpretation 1.17.56-1.18.62
XVII. (56) And God caused to rise out of the earth every tree which is pleasant to the sight and good for food, and the tree of life he raised in the middle of the Paradise, and [...]

Philo – Tree of Life (2)

Philo – Tree of Life (2)

Philo of Alexandria (Philo Judaeus; c. 20 BC – c. 50 AD)

On The Migration Of Abraham 8.36-42
VIII. (36) That then which is shown is that thing so worthy of being beheld, so worthy of being contemplated, so worthy of being beloved, the perfect good, the nature of which is to [...]